


Truth Or Dare

by hookedoncaptainswan



Category: Zoey's Extraordinary Playlist (TV)
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-10-14
Updated: 2020-10-14
Packaged: 2021-03-08 03:27:38
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,574
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26998918
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/hookedoncaptainswan/pseuds/hookedoncaptainswan
Summary: Truth or Dare can be a very revealing game....
Relationships: Zoey Clarke & Max Richman, Zoey Clarke/Max Richman
Comments: 24
Kudos: 27





	Truth Or Dare

**Author's Note:**

> I started writing this at 4am almost two weeks ago, and it’s been 97% finished just sitting in my files but I got a teensy bit distracted and forgot that I never posted it. So here it is :D

Joan must have lost her mind. That is the only explanation for what is happening right now. After Franklin Yang’s nervous breakdown and subsequent firing at the holiday party, the team had been even less of a team than before so Joan decided they needed to go on a bonding retreat. Except Joan also decided that she herself did not have to participate which left Zoey and Max with the rest of the brogrammers for an extended weekend.

Which brought us to now, in a cabin for team retreats. Normally Zoey loves going to stay in her family’s cabin to escape reality. However, that cabin is actually in the middle of nowhere, unlike where they are now—a team retreat cabin designed for awkward situations like this one— that is only 20 minutes outside the city. She can practically still hear traffic! 

Still, Joan took all of their phones when they arrived and there is no internet anyways so they are left to their own devices, pun intended. She isn’t really sure whose idea it was but about twenty minutes ago they all sat around a circle to play truth or dare. It was a stupid adolescent game for prepubescent teenagers, but Zoey had never played so she tried to take it seriously. Which is why on her turn she chose to ask Leif. 

“Leif, truth or dare?”

“Truth.” Leif said uncaringly. Zoey thought for a long moment until she thought of something.

“Why _are_ you the way you are?” Zoey asked.

“You’re going to have to be a _bit_ more specific if you want me to answer that.” He smirked.

“Well I mean, I’m sure I’m not the only one who’s wondering?” When Leif stared blankly at her, she continued. “Why do you have to act all self-righteous and narcissistic _all_ of the time?”

Leif was quiet for a minute, and then started rambling quickly—as if to get it over with. “One of my brothers is a billion dollar hedge fund manager and the other is on track to become chief oncologist at Johns Hopkins. I overcompensate in front of everyone else because I know that I’m good at what I do, but I’m worried I’ll never measure up to my brothers or make my parents proud.”

Zoey suddenly felt a little guilty. I mean, this was the name of the game… but still. “I’m sure with time, you too…” 

“They’re younger than me.” he said, flatly. Everybody was quiet.

“Zoey.” Leif drawled once he realized nobody would say anything. “Truth or dare?” He asked with a mischievously raised eyebrow.

Anticipating whatever horrible thing he would ask her to reveal after what she had had him expose to all of their coworkers, she knew better than to choose truth. She had no idea that she was playing right into his hand.

“Dare.” She realized her mistake when his grin turned evil and he tipped his head toward her.

“I dare _you,_ ” Leif paused for effect, causing Zoey to impatiently raise her eyebrows. “To kiss Max.” She simply blinked three times, and turned to her left where Max was sitting. Zoey looked at him, silently asking if he was okay with this and his answer was clear by how relaxed he looked.

Zoey leaned in slowly, putting her right hand on his chest. As their lips connected Max’s hand came up to cradle her face. She felt him ever so slightly move to end the kiss, but she wasn’t ready for the moment to end so she fisted her hand into his shirt and kissed him harder. He responded in kind, using his other hand to pull her closer to him so that her body flush with his. 

They would have probably gone on for a while if someone hadn’t broken them out of their reverie by clearing their throat. Immediately they pulled apart, faces flushed, and moved back to their respective seats without looking one another in the eye.

“O _kay_ , and after that little performance let’s move on! Zoey, you choose who’s next.” Leif said, looking agitated that his plan had backfired. 

She cleared her throat and looked at the first person she could think of. “Zach, truth or dare?” They went around the circle with most of the brogrammers being asked to do idiotic dares or pointless truths, all of them seemingly oblivious to Zoey’s inner dilemma.

Sure, she had kissed Max. It was on a dare, so it could be passed off as nothing. Except that was _not_ nothing. Nothing about that kiss could be ignored, it had to mean something right? Zoey had never thought of Max in a romantic way before, she had never allowed herself to go down that road from fear of actually falling for him and ruining their friendship when he inevitably found out and rejected her. Because why would someone as incredible as Max want to be with Zoey? No, they worked well as friends and they should stay that way. They kissed during a game of truth or dare and got carried away, easily forgettable, no biggie. 

When it got back around to Max he decided to get back at Leif. He was no fool, he knew what Leif was playing at and two could play at that game. 

“Truth or dare, Leif?” Max asked casually, so as not to give himself away.

“Truth.” Leif said smugly, he thought he had nothing to hide… well nothing _else_.

“Have you and Tobin ever kissed, and did you like it?” Leif blanched. Clearly he wasn’t expecting something like that.

“That’s two questions. Pick _one_.” He fired back at Max. 

“Okay. Did you like it?” Max smirked. Leif had no way of knowing that Tobin had drunkenly told Max all about that occurrence the night before and he was happy to use his knowledge for a little payback.

“Yes.” Leif answered begrudgingly.

“Which question are you answering buddy?” Max pestered. 

“I think you _know_ that by answering one, I’m answering both.” He said through gritted teeth. He was angry at first, but after seeing the awed look on Tobin’s face he relaxed a bit.

Max just grinned like the cat that caught the canary. Until Leif fired back at him, _oh no_.

“Truth or dare, _Max_.”

“Dare.”

“I dare you to tell Zoey how you feel about her.” Well there’s no getting out of that one.

“Alright, Zo, let’s go in the other room for a minute.”

“No, no. You can tell her right here.”

“I don’t think so man. The dare was to tell _Zoey_ how I feel about her, if you wanted to know so badly then you should have been more specific. Come on, Zo.” Max retorted, grabbing her hand and dragging her into the other room. 

“Max! That was _genius_. Now they think you’re gonna tell me something cra--”

“Actually, Zoey I _am_ gonna tell you.”

“Wait, seriously?” What could he possibly have to tell her?

“Yeah, well I’ve been nervous to tell you because I don’t want to make things weird for us, but--- I um, I’m interested in you as _more_ than just my friend. I mean.. I have romantic feelings for you Zoey. And I don’t need or expect you to respond to that or for things to change with us, but I didn’t want there to be any secrets between us so… yeah.”

They were both quiet for a moment when they heard Tobin shout from the other room.

“Okay, you guys can stop making out and come back now!”

Max started to walk away and Zoey grabbed his arm to stop him. “Can we not go back yet? I just need a minute..”

“Okay, we’ll stand here as long as you want.”

“You won’t go anywhere?” Zoey hoped he could read between the lines to what she was really asking.

“I won’t leave you.” He hugged her until she pulled away and nodded, signaling that she was ready to go back.

“Hold up, something _definitely_ happened back there. You guys were gone forever and Zoey looks super flushed.” Tobin said, wiggling his eyebrows at them. “You guys did it, right?”

“Tobin. Inappropriate.” Max responded. “But since you brought it up, truth or dare?”

“Truth, dude. I’m an open book.”

“Okay, when did you lose your virginity?”

“Ah man, _great question_ ! So there’s this game called Better World _,_ actually Joan’s husband Charlie Bennett created it, and you can do _anything_ in that game. Met this chick named Cynthia on the server in ‘08 and it was _awesome_ my dudes.”

“I hate to ruin this for you, Tobes, but I think I have to point out that that doesn’t count.”

“Does too. One day we’re going to ask Charlie and he will agree, just you wait. Yo, GLEN! Truth or dare, buddy?”

“I don’t know, truth I guess.” Glen answered, more as a question than anything.

“Perfect. I have always wanted to know, and I’m sure I’m not the only one, how long have you even worked at SPRQ Point? We’ve all talked and apparently you were the first one here.”

“Yeah, Danny Michael Davis and I went to college together… We were best friends until he stole my idea for a startup. Ten years later he hired me to work for his company which was my idea in the first place. I’ve been here since the San Francisco office opened.”

Everyone in the room just stared at Glen. Not only is that the most they have _ever_ heard him say, but he just dropped a huge bomb on everyone. No one is quite sure what to do so one of the guys shouted “who’s next” to move it along. When it got back to Jonah, he chose Zoey and she chose truth.

“Alright, tell us what you’re thinking about right now.” Jonah asked. The question was innocent enough, and she knew Jonah hadn’t meant anything by it but she knew her answer was going to change things.

“Um, well I’m thinking about Max.” All of the guys, Max included, looked at her with wide eyes and raised eyebrows.

“That’s pretty vague, what _about_ Max?” Jonah clarified.

“ _Everything_ about him. If you want a list it’s pretty long, so that’s about as good as I can give you.” She laughed nervously and smiled warmly at Max. “Ummm Blake, truth or dare?” They continued around the circle until it got back to Leif.

“Zoey, truth or dare?” 

“Truth.” At this point, Zoey had given up on Leif’s vendetta and just decided to play the game. 

“What did Max tell you earlier?”

“That isn’t my truth to tell. Try again.” Leif looked put off, but did indeed try again.

“Fine.” He smirked. “Do you want to kiss Max again?” He grinned thinking he had asked something so revealing, but Zoey didn’t care anymore. She wasn’t afraid of her feelings.

“Yes.” She answered confidently. Max’s head whipped around to look at her, but she just smiled at him. 

“Oh. Well… _okay_ then. Next.”

“Okay, back to you then. Truth or dare, Leif?”

“Dare.”

“Okay… I dare you to… swap outfits with Jeremy.”

“Absolutely not! He dresses like a heathen! No offense, Jeremy.” Jeremy just shrugged.

“Okay.” Zoey laughed. “If that’s what you’re willing to lose the game over then--”

“Fine! Jeremy, let’s go. You better have showered today.” Leif mumbled. 

When they came back in the room they all had a good laugh over Leif wearing cargo shorts, a baja rug hoodie, and bare feet. He didn’t look bad, but no one (not even Tobin) had ever seen him in anything other than his cardigans and tight pants with the decorative socks.

“Enough! Max, truth or dare.” Leif had a glint in his eye, his fury reignited. Zoey and Max both could guess what was about to happen so Max looked at Zoey for confirmation that they were in agreement. They were.

“Dare.” Max said challengingly.

“I dare you to kiss Zoey.” 

“Wait, they already did that. You can’t do the same dare twice.” Tobin said.

“It isn’t the same dare. The first time I dared _Zoey_ to kiss Max. This time it’s the other way around.

“No worries, Tobes. I’m game.” Max said, smirking at Leif to show him that he was unphased.

Max weaved his fingers through Zoey’s hair and pulled her in for another kiss. This kiss escalated much faster than the last because of everything that had happened in the past two hours. Zoey’s hands were both clinging to Max as she parted her lips to give him entrance. They were lost in each other for an indeterminate amount of time until, once again, Tobin interrupted. Only this time instead of clearing his throat, he was making sex sounds at them.

Zoey and Max broke their kiss, still clinging to each other and breathing hard. 

“Max, can we go talk somewhere?”

“Definitely.” He responded immediately. “Alright guys, we’re out.”

“You can’t just leave in the middle of the game!” Leif protested, upset at feeling like he’d done the opposite of his intentions. Realizing they were going to leave regardless of what he said, he amended. “Ugh, fine. You can go, but the exit fee is that you both have to take a shot.”

Max and Zoey both shrugged and downed a shot of tequila each. Zoey was honestly thankful for the extra courage that it gave her as she tugged Max’s hand upstairs.

“Woah slow down there, Zo!” Max laughed. “So…”

“Okay here goes.” Zoey began. “I’ve never considered you romantically before because I’ve never allowed myself to because I was sure that if I did then I would fall for you and I couldn’t do that because you’re my best friend and you didn’t feel the same and that would screw things up. Except now I know that you _do_ feel the same apparently and that our kiss-- _kisses_ tonight got me thinking and I realized that I’ve probably felt this way for you this whole time otherwise I wouldn’t have been so afraid of allowing myself to see you in that way, because I do. I really, really like you Max.”

He just grinned at first, but then he said, “You’re really cute when you’re rambling.”

She giggled nervously which only made him grin more.

“But Max, I’m scared because you are my _best friend_. What if this doesn’t work and I lose you forever?”

“Does it help at all if I promise that you won’t ever lose me? Because you won’t, Zo. I’m not going anywhere.”

“Yeah… it really does.”

“So what do you say? Do you wanna give this a ---"

Zoey cut his words off with a kiss -- their _third_ of the night.

“Can I take that as a yes?” He chuckled. 

“Yes, Max.” She smiled up at him and her eyes flickered down to his lips. 

For the fourth time that night, Max pulled Zoey against him and kissed her with everything he had. Zoey moved her leg up his thigh and he lifted her suddenly, moving to hold her up against the wall. They remained there kissing until Max’s arms gave out and he sat her back on the ground, their foreheads coming to rest on one another.

After catching his breath he asked, “Wanna go back and finish the game?”

“Oh for sure. Let’s go ask Brody how long he’s been in love with that girl from the ground floor!”


End file.
